Why no town square in Dublin?

kravmaga

imme wrote: »

Dublin has some beautiful parts and features.

Name the beautiful parts and features?

The J Stands for Jay

kravmaga wrote: »

Name the beautiful parts and features?

No. They already have names.

kravmaga

McGaggs wrote: »

No. They already have names.

?????????????????:rolleyes:

kravmaga

blackbox wrote: »

Policing in Dublin is very different from most European city centres.

Thats because its non existent.

Larbre34

That stupid white water rafting idea. Instead, they should raise the floor of the old dock and make it into a big civic square, for speeches, concerts, meetings, protests. Have it as a market space, street food and busking spot at other times.

crazy 88

Larbre34 wrote: »

That stupid white water rafting idea. Instead, they should raise the floor of the old dock and make it into a big civic square, for speeches, concerts, meetings, protests. Have it as a market space, street food and busking spot at other times.

It was actually grand with the wooden dock used by Oktoberfest. It had good potential for open air gigs too

expectationlost

crazy 88 wrote: »

It was actually grand with the wooden dock used by Oktoberfest. It had good potential for open air gigs too

how was the smell?

L1011

There were no real odor problems.

plodder

Whatever happened to the plans for College Green? It is the natural "central square" for Dublin. It has a nice compact form that suits the scale of the city, and climate. Replace the trees etc, move Henry Gratton to the edge somewhere and put in a circular mini amphitheatre type of thing with a few rows of tiered steps. Would be a great event space...

L1011

Went back for redesign and a new consultation etc.

One of the main concerns of ABP that sunk it last time - too many diesel buses down Parliament Street - is being made unimportant due to changing to hybrid and then full electric buses anyway.

loyatemu

new consultation came out strongly in favour of extending the plaza all the way to the junction with Georges St.

JustAThought

loyatemu wrote: »

new consultation came out strongly in favour of extending the plaza all the way to the junction with Georges St.

with the lobbyists in city hall and LA thats no surprise. How a busy corner which is an artery road can be decided to be a ‘plaza’ for a city of a million people and lobbied as such just shows the lack of ambition or vision by city ‘planners’. Of course just 3 minutes up the way we have a pedestraniased street (Grafton St) which leads into a paved concourse and into a beautiful city park. But no mention of this ever - nor the many other Georgian parks ready available about the city including the one that was gifted to the people of the city by the catholic church in one of the most expensive land areas of the city centre. rarely ever used to its capacity or potential yet the other side of Grafton St and adjacent to the Arts Council HQ, the National Maternity hospital and the National Gallery & Dáil Eireann & the Dead Museum - not the living dead next door. Dosn’t requite the whole city and bus network to be disrupted to use and unlike the corner of Dame St street can hold tens of thousands for an event.

Thelonious Monk

Merrion Square is always busy. Cars need to be taken out of the centre as much as possible, not when we have a metro built, now. People will manage like they did until everyone owned a car. It's a big mess of traffic and has been for years, and an unpleasant place to be.

plodder

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Merrion Square is always busy. Cars need to be taken out of the centre as much as possible, not when we have a metro built, now. People will manage like they did until everyone owned a car. It's a big mess of traffic and has been for years, and an unpleasant place to be.

I remember Grafton street before it was pedestrianised. It was exactly like Trinity St., Andrews St etc are now. Nice little streets, ruined by traffic.

John_Rambo

JustAThought wrote: »

with the lobbyists in city hall and LA thats no surprise. How a busy corner which is an artery road can be decided to be a ‘plaza’ for a city of a million people and lobbied as such just shows the lack of ambition or vision by city ‘planners’. Of course just 3 minutes up the way we have a pedestraniased street (Grafton St) which leads into a paved concourse and into a beautiful city park. But no mention of this ever - nor the many other Georgian parks ready available about the city including the one that was gifted to the people of the city by the catholic church in one of the most expensive land areas of the city centre. rarely ever used to its capacity or potential yet the other side of Grafton St and adjacent to the Arts Council HQ, the National Maternity hospital and the National Gallery & Dáil Eireann & the Dead Museum - not the living dead next door. Dosn’t requite the whole city and bus network to be disrupted to use and unlike the corner of Dame St street can hold tens of thousands for an event.

& look at what a success this was. Of course, at the time there was lots of short sighted opposition to the pedestrianisation of Grafton st.

crazy 88

John_Rambo wrote: »

& look at what a success this was. Of course, at the time there was lots of short sighted opposition to the pedestrianisation of Grafton st.

Grafton st is not a square. There's no benches or structures to encourage people to hang about in the middle of it. Unless you count buskers. Some would think they block up with street with the crowds that sometimes gather to watch. What was proposed on college green is completely different.

John_Rambo

crazy 88 wrote: »

Grafton st is not a square. There's no benches or structures to encourage people to hang about in the middle of it. Unless you count buskers. Some would think they block up with street with the crowds that sometimes gather to watch. What was proposed on college green is completely different.

Exactly, college green would be perfect where we could have benches, awnings, covered areas, stalls, markets.. another civic square.

crazy 88

John_Rambo wrote: »

Exactly, college green would be perfect where we could have benches, awnings, covered areas, stalls, markets.. another civic square.

Squares don't work in Dublin, for the reasons I outlined earlier in the forum

wakka12

crazy 88 wrote: »

Squares don't work in Dublin, for the reasons I outlined earlier in the forum

Dublin has relatively little precedent. If it is well connected to other pedestrian thoroughfares it is successful. Grand Canal Square is probably the one with the most broad appeal and would be widely considered a resounding success, others like Templebar Square are ones that are not so grand and might slip your mind but still intensively and actively used all day every day of the week. I'm sure there's more

Minime2.5

Eleven Benevolent Elephants wrote: »

Or Kiev.

Or Galway

Minime2.5

Minime2.5 wrote: »

Or Galway

Or Waterford

John_Rambo

crazy 88 wrote: »

Squares don't work in Dublin, for the reasons I outlined earlier in the forum

Except the ones that do work outlined earlier in the forum. Just because you don't use them doesn't mean others utilise and enjoy them.

crazy 88

John_Rambo wrote: »

Except the ones that do work outlined earlier in the forum. Just because you don't use them doesn't mean others utilise and enjoy them.

How do you know I don't use them? I do use them and the majority have a notable anti social presence. The boardwalks in particular.

John_Rambo

crazy 88 wrote: »

How do you know I don't use them? I do use them and the majority have a notable anti social presence. The boardwalks in particular.

John_Rambo wrote: »

This has come up before. "It starts with there's not public square in Dublin" then people point out a few and the people that weren't aware of them pretend they were aware of them all the time but don't like them.

That didn't take long.

The boardwalk isn't a public square and most of the civic squares I listed don't have an anti-social presence.

Padre_Pio

crazy 88 wrote: »

How do you know I don't use them? I do use them and the majority have a notable anti social presence. The boardwalks in particular.

With adequate policing and cleaning, any area will be lovely.

There are very few anti-social elements around Dublin city centre, unless you're counting people in tracksuits as anti-social.

crazy 88

John_Rambo wrote: »

The boardwalk isn't a public square

:rolleyes:
It's the same theme. Outdoor public space with seats

John_Rambo wrote: »

most of the civic squares I listed don't have an anti-social presence.

we'll agree to disagree on that so

crazy 88

Padre_Pio wrote: »

unless you're counting people in tracksuits as anti-social.

no. public drinking and drug use

crazy 88

Padre_Pio wrote: »

With adequate policing

Unfortunately this doesn't exist. As shown by the recent increase in inner city crime.

John_Rambo

crazy 88 wrote: »

:rolleyes:
It's the same theme. Outdoor public space with seats


we'll agree to disagree on that so

St. Stephen’s Green, Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Square, Temple Bar Square, Meeting House Square, Mayor Square & Grand Canal Dock are very very safe, you'll be perfectly fine. When we're rid of the pestilence you should take a little tour around the city and relax in our amazing civic squares.

crazy 88

John_Rambo wrote: »

St. Stephen’s Green, Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Square, Temple Bar Square, Meeting House Square, Mayor Square & Grand Canal Dock are very very safe, you'll be perfectly fine. When we're rid of the pestilence you should take a little tour around the city and relax in our amazing civic squares.

I would agree they are mostly safe. But the presence of people drinking and doing drugs (or people who look like they're on drink or drugs) would put off the general public from congregating in open squares or sitting in an outdoor café/restaurant, like they do in European cities. That's why I think those style squares wouldn't work in Dublin.